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Alex Porter
Alex Porter is a fictional character on Center Stage. He is portrayed by Kevin Levine. Personality Alex is necrotic, insecure, and constantly second-guesses himself. He once confessed that he often spends his nights curled up in a bathtub plucking out his pubic hair ("one hair for every stupid thing I did that day"). He occasionally exhibits signs of having a Napoleon complex. He also has an irrational fear of awkward situations and lesbians, as he feels that lesbians do not like him. Alex is a very talented actor, but lacks singing and dancing ability. He was once asked by a director to exploit his lack of dancing ability "for comic relief" in an otherwise very grim musical ("Dance Break"). His lack of vocal talent was once exploited by Jack, who asked him to perform at a children's hospital to show sick kids that "it could always be worse". ("What's In A Name"). Despite his flaws, Alex is very intelligent and often serves as the voice of reason. He is also a loyal friend, and will often go out of his way to help others. Bebe described Alex as having "a certain allure that women find hard to resist. Much like a crippled kitten." Sexuality Alex's sexual orientation has been alluded to only on occasion and is ambiguous at best. He has only had one known girlfriend, and has said numerous times that he prefers to be single. Nevertheless, there have been hints that Alex may have bisexual tendencies. In one episode, Bebe asked "were you just hitting on that guy?", to which Alex replied "I don't know." When asked about Alex's sexuality, Kathy Parish remarked "Yeah I think he's definitely got some bisexual tendancies. I don't like putting labels on it, but I guess you'd call him bicurious. We have characters who are exclusively heterosexual and characters who are exclusively homosexual. With Alex, it isn't as clear-cut. Sexuality isn't black and white, so it was a deliberate choice to leave his sexuality open." Kevin Levine once commented that Alex "definitely has some gay inclinations." Relationships Alex has alluded to only one romantic relationship, with a girl named Sarah who he broke up by leaving a note on her car windshield because she didn't like The X-Files. He has mentioned on a few occasions that he is "better off" single. Suitors Alex is notorious for having a number of romantic suitors, male and female, most of which are unattractive or awkward in some way, and Alex has never expressed any interest in pursuing them. Bebe once suggested that he date one of them, "just for kicks", to which he sarcastically replied "...the day I decide that I'd like to get raped to death and left in a roadside ditch, that's what I'll do". Among those who have expressed having a crush on him: Alexis: '''An overweight, "slightly autistic" 20-year-old who wants to be an actress but has no talent. She is obsessed with the idea of Alex making out with another man and frequently talks about him to others. '''Chris: A flamboyant singer who had a crush on Alex during a musical they did together, which led to a fight with another man who also had a crush on Alex. Steve: A slightly-older singer who sends Alex creepy text messages, such as "can I keep you?" '''Kyle: '''Kyle has frequently mentioned having a crush on Alex. '''Andi: '''Andi is an awkward struggling actress of unknown age who admitted to having a "hardcore, Justin Bieber-level crush" on Alex during a musical. As a result of the nature of those who pursue Alex, Bebe once mentioned that he lives in constant fear of being raped. However, there have been numerous occasions in which Alex has admitted to secretly taking pleasure in having people take an interest in him. Jack has called Alex "some sort of male siren...luring fat, awkward, prepubescent losers through a vast sea of insanity and obnoxiousness." According to Kathy Parish, every character who's ever had a crush on Alex is based on a real-life person who pursued Kevin Levine romantically. Many TV critics have acknowledged Alex's status as "fag stag", a straight male who enjoys, or is at least comfortable in, the company of gay men. However, this may be complicated by hints that Alex has some bisexual tendencies. Nevertheless, many still consider the series groundbreaking in its examination of Alex's relationships with gay men. Bebe Crane Bebe is Alex's agent, and the two share a mother-son type relationship. Bebe once described Alex as being like "the bastard son I never wanted". Alex adores Bebe, and is thus able to see past her unethical behavior. His ringtone for Bebe is Amy Grant's "Every Heartbeat". Cory Jenkins Alex and Cory are close friends, sharing the same sense of humor and often mocking those they consider inferior. Evidently they are banned from the Goodwill store and, according to Alex, the clerk there considers them "horrible people." Mark Andrews Mark is Alex's best friend, with the two sharing a brotherly relationship. They met after Mark saw a play Alex performed in. After the play, Mark came up to Alex and told him he sucked, which Alex respected and the two became best friends. Jack once described Mark and Alex as "Lucy and Ethel". Trivia *Once considered opening his own restaurant, believing himself to be qualified to do so because he has seen every episode of Kitchen Nightmares *Has admitted to being a fan of Amy Grant Creation and Reception According to Katharine Parish, Alex is a composite character based on a few people she knew in college, with "just a hint" of Levine himself, who Parish had in mind for the character when she wrote the pilot. Levine has received critical praise for his portrayal of Alex. He has been nominated for a Trinity Award three times, and critics have praised his performance. Critic Michael Nash wrote that "Levine's razor-sharp comic sensibilities mesh perfectly with Parish's trademark style, and Levine truly pours his soul into this character."